Automatic recording device for hens



Patented July 30, 1929.

UNETEQ STATES 1,722,628 PATENT OFFECE- THEODORE P. GARANKIN, OF YORK, N.Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BRUNO A. MUELLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC RECORDING DEVICE FOR HENS.

Application filed December 1, 1927.

My invention relates to automatic recording devices for hens and has aparticular reference to devices adapted to leave imprints or marksspecific for each particular hen, every time when this hen has laid. an

For this purpose I provide a small device which can be attached to thehens foot and which has a printing button suspended on a spring. Thisbutton is adapted to touch the round when the hen springs down from acertain height. In order to properly use this device I provide speciallyarranged nests from which the hen must spring on special pad with paperor similar material ant a carbon paper or similar medium. The buttonstrikes this pad and the engraved number or symbol on the button leavesan imprint on the record-receiving material through the carbon paper.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specificationand drawing in which Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of a nestwith a record-receiving device, Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of same,Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified arrangement of a record-receivingdevice, Fig. 4 is a side View of same, Fig. 5 is a sectional view ofsame, Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of a recording device for a hensfoot, Fig. 7 is an end view of same, Fig. 8 is a view showing thisdevice attached to a hens foot, and Fig. 9 is a sectional view of amodified record-receiving pad. I My device consists of a tube 1preferably made of some light metal, such as aluminum. This tube is openon top and partly closed at the bottom. A plunger rod 2 is placed insideof this tube and extends outside through partly open bottom portion ofthe tube. A heavy button 3 is attached to the lower end of the plungerand a bushing or nut 4 to the top end.

The button 3 is provided on its lower surface with symbols or figures 5identifying a particular hen. These figures are raised above the buttonsurface so as to leave corresponding marks on a suitable materialthrough a sheet of carbon paper.

A spring 6 is placed inside of the tube 1 and rests with its lower endagainst the partly closed bottom portion of the tube, and with its upperend against the bushing 4. With this arrangement the spring tends toSerial No. 237,058.

keep the plunger in a raisedposition with the upper tapered portion ofthe button 3 resting against the bottom end of the tube A second orouter tube 7 is placed on the upper end of the tube 1. The upper end ofthe second tube is closed so that this tube forms an upper enclosure forthe plunger 2 with the spring 6. p

The tubes 1 and 4 are provided with clamps 8 and 9 for attaching thisdevice to the foot 10 of a hen. Each clamp consists of a resilient metalstrip bent to suit the shape of the hens leg. One end of the strip ispivotally attached to a lug 11 fastened to the tube 1, the other isadapted to engage a second lug 12. The free end of the clamp 8 or 9 isbent out forming a bandle by which it may be snapped on or off the lug12.

This device may be used in connection with a simple record-receiving.apparatus as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This record-receiving apparatus ordevice consists of a cylinder 13 covered with a half hard rubber orsimilar elastic material such as is used for ordinary typewritercylinders. This cylinder is mounted on a shaft 14 the ends of which restin slots 15 of a frame 16. This frame in the middle is pivotally mountedon pins 17 supported on brackets 18. These brackets are fastened withscrews 19 to a base plate '20. The rear end of the frame is formed witha heavy bar 21 which counter-balances the cylinder 13 and keeps it in araised position as shown in Fig. 1.

The cylinder 13 is provided on one end with a ratchet wheel 22 which isengaged by a pawl 23. The other end of this pawl is pivotally mounted onthe side of the bracket The record-receiving device is placed on theground near the exit aperture with a jumping bar 24 of a nest 25. Thisnest may be of an automatic type, such as is described in my patentapplication Serial No. 196,541, filed June 4, 1927.

A cover or housing 26 is placed over the record-receiving apparatus andis provided with an exit aperture 27 for the hen. The cylinder 13 isplaced in such position that the hen must jump on it before leaving thehousing 26 through the aperture 27.

The drum 13 is covered with a sheet of paper or similar material, overwhich is of the bar 21.

placed a sheet of carbon paper. A thin sheet of .paper'is placed overthe carbon paper in order to protect it from being torn by the hens feetAll these successive sheets are secured to the surface of the cylinder'13 by means of rubber bands 28.

The operation of my device is as follows.

The hen, after having laid an egg in the nest 25, finds the entranceaperture closed 34 and the exit open. She crawls through this apertureon the bar 24 from which she jumps on the cylinder 13 in order to ,getto the outer exit aperture 27. The cylinder under the weight of the henmoves down until it rests on the base plate raising the weight 21. Atthe same time the button 3 on account of its inertia slides down,overcom- .1ng the spring tension, and strikes the surface of thecylinder 13. The figures 5 of the button leave their impression on thepaper .from the carbon paperv (or ink ribbon, if such was used) When thehen leaves the cylinder in order to escape through the gate 27, theframe 16 with the cylinder 13 rise again to their operating positionunder action of the weight During this movement the pawl 23 causes theratchet wheel 22 of the cylinder to move one or more notches, there byexposing a fresh portion of the paper for the next hen.

Instead of using an individual record-receiving device for each nest,only one such device may be used at the exit from an enclosed yard inwhich all the hens who laid their eggs are assembled. A suitablepassageway or gates are placed in the box 25 in order to compel the hensto jump from the board 24 on the record-receiving cylinder :in order toescape from the enclosed yard.

Instead of the cylinder 13 a simpler device may be used'for obtainingimpressions :of the figure 5 of the button 3. This device may be made inthe form. of-a pad 29 with a suitable resilient surface on whichsuccessive layers of writing :paper, carbon paper and protec tive paperor clothare placed (30, 31 and 32 respectively) mounted on a frame 33and forms a cover fitting over the block or pad 29 and clamping down thesheets 30.and 31.

The protective cloth 32 is Another arrangement is shown in Fig. 9

in which the frame 34 has flanges on top to retain the sheets 30, 31 and34, with van aperture exposing the loose protective sheet 1 My inventionprovides a simple, reliable V and automatic means for keeping account ofegg-laying hens and thereby permits the 10perationof large'chickenfarmswith but small amount of labor.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic recording device for hens, the combination withaprintingimember, a resilient means to support said printing member in aninoperative position,

means to attachsaid supporting means with into an operating positionunder action ofthe force of inertia, said supportingtmeans being adaptedto retrieve saidprlnting member back into inoperative position when saidinertia force ceases to act.

3. In an automatic recording device for hens, the combination with aprinting menr 'ber of a tubular member slidably supporting said printingmember, means to attach said tubular member to a v hens foot, andaspring adapted 'to keep said printing member in an inoperative positionand to let said printing member slide down when said hen jumps from hernest.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York.

THEODORE P. GARANKIN.

